The invention relates to a system for and a method of monitoring a plurality of transceivers located in an area, e.g. a patch panel, to be monitored.
Data networks serve, inter alia, to provide data links to a larger number of computers, e.g. PCs or work stations, etc., or the staff sitting there, i.e. the users of the data network. The users at the work stations are thus provided with individual services, e.g. with data services or also telecommunication services. In order to achieve this, the data networks have central distributor points, mostly distributor cabinets. Patch panels are provided in the distributor points. These patch panels have ports, i.e. connections. From the ports of these patch panels data cables route data links to the work stations, e.g. in a star pattern.
There are also active devices located in the distributor cabinets or distributor points besides the patch panels. These active devices serve to distribute the data, telephone signals or other applications.
The connection of e.g. the active devices to the patch panels is achieved with patch cables.
These patch cables have a plug at each end. This plug can be inserted into a port or connection on a patch panel. The patch cables are e.g. 8-wired, flexible and e.g. about 0.5 m to 5 m long. In the case of copper cables, the plugs are generally so-called RJ45 plugs; further, optical fibers have been ready-made with various plugs.
To now supply a PC/work station with the desired services or to make these services available thereto, the active device must be connected accordingly to the corresponding port on the patch panel. If, for example, a user needs a telephone connection as well as a data link, then the telephone system and a data switch system are made available for use by connecting the corresponding ports to the active device.
In the case of changes to services, relocations, transfers or other reorganization measures, it may become necessary to make changes to these connections at the distributors. In this case, “patch rearrangement” must be conducted. Thus, patch cables must be re-plugged in keeping with the services required from now on.
A series of problems arise as a result of this. A plurality of patch cables cover the individual patch panels and also become entwined with one another. Connections that are no longer required still remain patched in some instances. Thus, the clarity of overview in the case of medium and large installations necessarily decreases drastically in some cases. These problems result in errors and time losses in conducting re-patching operations. This in turn leads to an increase in work time for the responsible administrator, as well as for the users, until the services are truly available by reworking. The possibility of damages to the devices or even the completely unintended outage of services as a result of incorrect patching should not be excluded.
Arrangements for monitoring patch panels at distributor points in data networks are proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,802, DE 102 44 304 B3, and DE 10 2004 052 502 A1.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,802 provides a system and a method for monitoring connectivity in a cable system including radio frequency identification (RFID) transceivers on cable ends and RFID sensors at connection points. The RFID sensors are connected to a central monitoring system. Presence of a particular cable end at a particular connection point is detected and recorded by the central monitoring system.
DE 102 44 304 B3 relates to an arrangement for monitoring patch panels, the arrangement including patch cables which can be inserted into the connections in the patch panels by means of a plug. Each plug is fitted with a transponder. Readers with reader spools are also provided. Each connection attachment in a patch panel is fitted with a reader spool or with a reader.
DE 10 2004 052 502 A1 describes an arrangement for monitoring patch fields, the arrangement including patch cables which can be plugged by means of plugs into connectors in the patch fields. Each of the two plugs of each cable is provided with a transponder. A device is arranged before or in the proximity of one of the patch fields with its connectors. The device is equipped with readers and reader coils. The readers are in data communication with an evaluation unit. The device comprises a plurality of reader coils, the number of which exceeds the number of connectors in the patch field. The reader coils can be independently driven.
Thus, known systems or methods only check if one of a plurality of predetermined positions, i.e. possible connection positions, is occupied by a respective plug having a transceiver. With increasing dimension of patch panels it could be desirable, however, to determine the position of the particular connector/plug independent from any predetermined connector positions. In particular, it may be desirable to determine a position of a transceiver of a plurality of transceivers, independent from the arrangement and use of the transceivers. For these or other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.